Mohammed Ahmed wins 10,000 to earn ticket to London Games

St. Catharines runner in dream world surviving Calgary altitude

Mohammed Ahmed of St. Catharines, Ont., wins the 10,000 metres at the Canadian Olympic Track and Field Trials at Foothills Athletic Park in Calgary on Wednesday. Ahmed punched his ticket to the Summer Games in London after wining in a time of 30 minutes, 49.13 seconds.

Photograph by: Stuart Gradon
, Calgary Herald

Mohammed Ahmed buckled to his knees upon crossing the finish line of the men’s 10,000-metre final at the Canadian Olympic Track and Field Trials.

The St. Catharines, Ont., native is the first Canadian track athlete — outside of the marathoners — to officially book his trip to the 2012 Summer Games after clocking a time of 30 minutes, 49.13 seconds Wednesday on a blustery evening at Foothills Athletic Park.

London awaits.

“It’s pretty much the Super Bowl of track and field,” he said after making his way to the mixed zone under the watchful eye of two doping control officials. “I can’t believe it. It’s as if I’m dreaming.”

The dream, in this case, is real. A mere baby in the world of distance running, Ahmed is destined for his first taste of the five-ring circus.

“I’m 21 right now,” he said. “I hope to make two more Olympics. I think that’s a reasonable guess, I think.”

First up is a trip across the Atlantic to compete against a field of dominant Africans.

“There’s 50-60 Kenyans, and they’re all in the top,” he said. “It’s tough. Very tough. But luckily at the Olympics and the world championships, they can only send three. Ethiopia can send three. Eritrea can send three.

“So it helps us out.”

But Ahmed should have Canadian company in teammate Cameron Levins, who skipped the 10,000 Wednesday to rest up for the 5,000-metres.

Born and raised in the community of Black Creek on Vancouver Island, the 23-year-old Levins need only place in the top-three in the 5,000 to confirm his place in London.

“He’s an inspiration,” Ahmed said. “A very good guy. He’s going to push me, and I’m going to push him.

“We need new blood. I like to think I’m part of that new blood, and Cam as well.”

Ahmed started track at school in Grade 7, and he never set his sights on competing in long distances.

For that, he would have to be a masochist, of sorts.

“Running is a very painful sport,” he said.

“It really is. It’s a great metaphor for life. It has the ups and downs. You have to ride the ups and get through the tough days.”

Wednesday ranked as one of those tough days. Growing up in Southern Ontario and attending the University of Wisconsin, Ahmed had never been in a city like Calgary so close to the Rocky Mountains.

“I felt very good through seven, eight laps,” he said. “But just the last two laps, the altitude started getting to me. It wasn’t easy at all. It was very windy. I’ve never been at altitude in my life, so this was very hard.”

Hard, but manageable.

“People kind of chose the distance for me,” said Ahmed, who finished fourth in the 10,000 metres at the 2010 IAAF World Junior Championships. “I’ve tried the 800 metres and the 1,500 metres, but I just don’t have that turnover. So I was like, OK. I guess this is it. Once you win and run well, you just get excited. You want to do it again.”

Youngsters who excel in the 10,000 often graduate to the marathon when they get older, but . . .

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Mohammed Ahmed of St. Catharines, Ont., wins the 10,000 metres at the Canadian Olympic Track and Field Trials at Foothills Athletic Park in Calgary on Wednesday. Ahmed punched his ticket to the Summer Games in London after wining in a time of 30 minutes, 49.13 seconds.

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